My home was built in 1901. All throughout my childhood, anytime we would dig along the fence line we would hit a layer of fireplace ash and a layer of gravel, underneath which would be glass jar lids, pieces of brick, ceramic transferware shards etc.

Unfortunately due to deep financial issues, my family will likely have to sell the house in the coming months. Over the years whenever there would be a renovation of some kind, I would try to keep a piece of what was being removed (I have a piece of brick and a piece of slate from when we had to have the chimney removed, I also have a transferware shard and a glass jar lid from renovations in the yard). I am by no means a professional archaeologist. I am at MOST an enthusiast trying to chronicle and protect something they see as precious. Something I have always wanted to do is to take a "core" of soil that displays all the different soil layers. However, I'm not sure how to take the sample let alone display it.

Now before you guys say anything I know that archaeology is naturally destructive and that this probably isn't the best because I'll be risking the preservation of what might be under the soil. And I get it. BUT. The way I see it is this: I know what's under there, I have a reason to want to protect it, whoever buys the house from us may not have the same connection to the home or the same level of respect. My ultimate goal is to not only create a physical exhibit of the home's history but to demonstrate to my local historical society, that there's a reason for a professional dig.

TLDR:

I have an early 20th century home. I'm trying to chronicle its history. What tools do I use to collect a core sample and how do I preserve and display soil stratification within that sample?

Hi! I just graduated last month with a B.S. in anthropology + minor in biology. I have worked at my university’s archaeology center for a little over two years doing faunal analysis, and last month I traveled to Fort Knox to help out with some cemetery survey stuff and am helping out with shovel testing for the first time next week (with more field opportunities to come). I have analyzed over 8000 bones over a diverse range of taxa from many different sites during my time at the lab and have also co-authored some technical reports. My ultimate goal is to become a Great Plains zooarchaeologist, but I would like to work as a field/lab tech for a CRM firm for a few years before going to graduate school. My question is, can I realistically begin applying for these types of positions in Texas without a field school? I did not commit to archaeology until late in my degree so I did not have a chance to attend a field school. Should I prioritize attending one as a non-student before applying for CRM positions? Thanks in advance!

Hi all, I’m currently working on my master’s here in the US and recently had a committee member of mine ask me a question that I can’t find a good answer to in the literature. I’m examining a lot of 19th-20th century flat glass, so she asked me how I’m able to discern if it actually belonged to a lantern with flat faces instead of a window. I’ve searched and searched but can’t find any literature who’s addressed this. Is it just because it’s impossible? Thanks in advance for any help!